Roller Coaster Physics

Although roller coasters have changed quite a bit since the ride first became popular, the basic design
principles remain the same. Whether the ride consists of an old wooden track with a few hills and
turns, or a modern steel track with a variety of corkscrews and loops, all roller coasters rely on the
conservation of energy.

The law of conservation of energy states that within a closed system, energy can change form, but it
cannot be created or destroyed. In other words, the total amount of energy remains constant. On a
roller coaster, energy changes from potential to kinetic energy and back again many times over the
course of a ride.

Kinetic energy is energy that an object has as a result of its motion. All moving objects possess
kinetic energy, which is determined by the mass and speed of the object. Potential energy is the
energy an object has as a result of its position. Potential energy is stored energy that has not yet
been released. Gravitational potential energy is potential energy that results from an object's position
in a gravitational field, and is equal to the object's weight multiplied by its height. For example, a book
placed on a shelf possesses gravitational potential energy because of Earth's gravity. If the book were
moved to a higher shelf, it would gain potential energy.

For most roller coasters, the gravitational potential energy of the cars at the peak of the first hill
determines the total amount of energy that is available for the rest of the ride. Traditionally, the
coaster cars are pulled up the first hill by a chain; as the cars climb, they gain potential energy. At the
top of the hill, the cars have a great deal of gravitational potential energy, equal to the cars' weight
multiplied by the height of the hill. When the cars are released from the chain and begin coasting
down the hill, potential energy transforms into kinetic energy until they reach the bottom of the hill. As
the cars ascend the next hill, some kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy. Then,
when the cars descend this hill, potential energy is again changed to kinetic energy. This conversion
between potential and kinetic energy continues throughout the ride.

In reality, the conversion between potential and kinetic energy (both are forms of mechanical energy)
is not perfect. The force of friction acts on the moving cars, decreasing the total amount of
mechanical energy in the system. The mechanical energy is not lost, however. It is transformed into
thermal energy, which can be detected as an increase in the temperature of the roller coaster's track
and car wheels. Because of friction between the coaster cars and the track (not to mention air
resistance as the cars move forward at great speed), the amount of mechanical energy available
decreases throughout the ride, and that is why the first hill of a roller coaster must always be the
tallest.

Think of an example from everyday life where potential energy is transformed into kinetic
energy, or vice versa. Draw a diagram that illustrates the transformation, using the interactive
activity as an example. Then describe the transformation. For example: When I carry a sled
to the top of a snowy hill, the potential energy of the sled increases. As I stand with my sled
at the top of the hill, the kinetic energy is zero and the potential energy is at its maximum. As
I slide down the hill, the potential energy of the sled decreases and its kinetic energy
increases.

Imagine you are making an animation of a roller coaster with a pie chart representing the total
amount of potential and kinetic energy in the system. What are the cars doing as the section
representing kinetic energy increases in size?

The roller coaster in this interactive is a model. In real life, not all of the potential energy of the
coaster cars is converted to kinetic energy and back again. Where does some of the energy
go? Why? How does this conversion affect the potential energy and kinetic energy during the
ride?